Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa and Skytrax-certified four-star global airline, has won the Aviation 100 “Africa Lease Deal of the Year 2018” award by Airline Economics Magazine during the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Dubai 2018 conference gala dinner.

The Aviation 100 awards recognize aviation’s most outstanding performers, as well as the most innovative and successful finance and leasing deals closed in the last 12 months. Winners of the Aviation 100 awards are decided by an industry-wide survey, a rigorous vetting process and editorial consideration.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said: “We are happy to receive this award from Airline Economics. It’s for the first time that the Japanese financing system, JOLCO, financed an aircraft deal with an African airline. JOLCO availed financing for our A350 aircraft. The deal shows the strong confidence of reputed global financiers in Ethiopian balance sheet and business plan.”